Disclaimer: Only the plot belongs to me!
"Well, look at this, Detective," Lucifer said to Chloe as he strode to Chloe's desk with a flyer in his hand. "A karaoke party. We should go, don't you think?"
"Give it up," Dan said from beside her. "We do it every year and she never goes."
"I don't like it, okay?" Chloe said. "I'm not a singer and it's always on a night where the weather is awful and that's better for staying in with Trixie anyway." She added, "And what's the theme this year?"
"Elvis," Dan said as Chloe winced.
"Every year the karaoke party has a theme," She explained. "They pick an artist and then we all sing songs by that person. If two people pick the same song, there's some sort of face off and the winner gets money...it's just silly!"
"What you call silly I call delightful," Lucifer smiled. "And if there's drinking involved, so much the better." He looked at Dan. "Mark us down, Daniel," he said. "We'll be there."
"Good luck," Dan told him as Chloe looked like she wanted to punch Lucifer in the face. "Good luck."
"What are you talking about?" Chloe hissed when Dan was gone. "I told you that it was stupid and I didn't want to go!"
"Why not?" Lucifer asked and leaned forward. "Give me one good reason."
"I don't want to," Chloe said. And then, as he opened his mouth to ask for others, she began listing them. "I can't sing, it's too cold, I'd rather be with Trixie..."
"Oh, would you stop using the child as an excuse?" Lucifer asked. "I know she's young but she's not completely inept. She could handle herself for a few hours while you went out and had a life!"
"I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with that," Chloe repeated stubbornly.
"I could convince you," Lucifer grinned. "And I know just the way..."
"I doubt it," Chloe stood up as her phone rang. "But good luck." She then took the call. "Decker. Yep, yeah...sure, we'll be there." She paused and looked up at Lucifer.
"There's been a murder," she told him. "Let's go."
The case that followed was unusually complex and when they were still working right at Trixie's bedtime, Lucifer, much to Chloe's surprise, offered to go watch her so that Chloe could feel confident about her progress before she went to bed that night.
"Why would you do that for me?" She asked. "Is this because you want me to go to karaoke night with you in exchange? Is this a trick?"
"No!" Lucifer shook his head. "But if you return tonight and the little sugar plum fairy and I have come up with a very compelling scheme to get you to go of your own accord, that will be a fortunate coincidence, won't it?"
"I know you're up to something," Chloe said. "But it's true that I still have lots to do on this case so...thank you for agreeing to look after Trixie for me so I have a little more time. I appreciate it."
"It's my pleasure, Detective," Lucifer smiled as they made their way to his convertible. "Anything I can do for a colleague is my pleasure."
"You're watching me?" Trixie asked with disbelief when Lucifer and she were alone. "Why? Where's Maze?"
"Your mother has a lot of work to do so I volunteered to watch you so she could do it," Lucifer told her simply. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No," Trixie shook her head. "Since Mom's not here, does that mean you'll finally teach me how to drive like you promised?"
"Later, if there's time," Lucifer said. "But now I need your help with something even more important."
"What?" Trixie questioned, her arms crossed as her dark eyes bored into his.
"Well, you know how hard your mother works, don't you?" Lucifer asked. "And how she never seems to want to take a break?"
"Yes," Trixie nodded. "I want her to go to the karaoke party but she won't go!"
"Exactly!" Lucifer nodded. "Would you help me convince her? If anyone could, it's you?"
"Okay!" Trixie smiled. "How do we do it?"
Chloe was exhausted when she finally pulled into her driveway and made her way into the house. She just wanted to kiss Trixie goodnight, take a long soak, and then go to bed.
But that plan was quickly changed when she heard Elvis music blasting from the living room and then a crash.
"Are you hurt, child?" Lucifer cried. "I told you that you shouldn't take that many steps before the turn, otherwise you'd trip over the chair...again."
"I know you did but I can't see the chair cause it's behind me!" Trixie's voice responded. "I'm not hurt, I promise. Let's try this again!"
"Wait a minute!" Chloe cried after speed-walking into the living room. "Trixie, you're supposed to be in bed! Do you know how late it is?"
"Oh, come on, Detective!" Lucifer said. "It's not like she has school tomorrow!"
"Yeah, and we were doing this to help you!" Trixie added. "So you'd go to the party and have fun! Can we show you our dance? Please?"
"Oh, all right," Chloe agreed and sat down on the sofa, smiling in spite of herself. "But after that, bed!"
"Are you sure you want to do it now?" Lucifer asked. "Maybe a bit more practice..."
"No, I'm good," Trixie replied and positioned herself behind the chair. "Just turn the music on, would you?"
Lucifer nodded and took a deep breathe before blasting "Jailhouse Rock" once more. Even with him shouting out choreography, to twirl and step and kick, it was clumsy and behind the beat at best but still...it was adorable and it really lifted Chloe's spirits.
"Okay, okay!" She cried. "I'm convinced, I'll go!"
"You will?" Lucifer asked. "Cause if you're not, we can always do it again and do an even better job of nailing the landing!"
"I nailed the landing fine!" Trixie hissed. "You were the one who was late!"
"Let's not place blame about who was behind whom," Lucifer replied, not wanting to admit she was right. "The point is, it worked and your mum is going to do karaoke. Good work, child!"
"So is this the part where you hand her a giant wad of money?" Chloe asked.
"No, she actually wanted to do this purely out of the goodness of her heart," Lucifer said. "As did I."
"Well, thank you," Chloe nodded and then hugged Trixie and then Lucifer. "I'm not saying my singing will be pretty, but if you all want to see it so bad, I guess...I guess I have no problem with obliging you all for one song."
"Well, then, my work here is done," Lucifer smiled. "Good night, all. Detective, what time would you like me to pick you up for the party?"
"It starts at seven, so...why not pick me up at six-thirty?" Chloe decided. "Is that all right with you?"
"Of course," Lucifer nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, Detective." He gave her a smile and then walked out to his car, with Chloe following him a few seconds later. "Thanks for watching Trixie tonight. It was a big help to me."
"You're welcome," Lucifer told her as he got into his car. "Have a good night, Detective."
"You too, Lucifer," Chloe replied, and waved to him as he drove away, then once he was gone, went inside and ran her bath.
Afterward, she dried off, put on a robe and wrapped up her hair in a towel before going to say 'Goodnight' to Trixie.
"I knew you weren't asleep yet," she told her daughter. "Once I tell you goodnight, you really have to go to sleep, all right?"
"Okay," Trixie nodded. "I'm so glad you liked our dance and are going to go to the karaoke party."
"Yeah," Chloe smiled. "Me too. Unless you need me. Cause if you do, for any reason, I can just..."
"Go!" Trixie urged. "Please! You have fun with Lucifer and the people at the party and I can have fun with Maze. I'll be fine, I swear. Do you promise you'll have fun?"
"Yes," Chloe smiled and hugged her hard. "I promise I will."
"Good," Trixie nodded as her mother tucked her in. "Cause no offense, but you really need it."
"You think?" Chloe asked with a smile.
"Yes," Trixie nodded. "I do."
"I have to say that I'm very pleased to see you standing here waiting for me," Lucifer told Chloe with a grin as he parked in her driveway and she came to meet his car, leaping lightly from the front step where she'd been sitting and watching for him. "I was honestly expecting you to back out and make an excuse."
"Well, if I had, I hope you would have gone without me," Chloe told him.
"Oh, I would have," Lucifer assured her. "I just would have been very sad for you. But that's not a problem. I really do think we'll have a fun evening."
"Well, the fact that it's not snowing is a good enough start," Chloe replied with a smile.
"it is indeed," Lucifer smiled back and opened the door for her. "Watch your head, Detective."
"Thank you," Chloe told him. When she was belted in, they drove off to the restaurant that the precinct always rented out for the karaoke party. When they came in, they could hear a lot of chatter about who was gonna sing what and who thought they would win the money during a sing off.
It was Dan who first noticed Chloe and Lucifer and his greeting silenced the crowd.
"You came!" He said to Chloe. Then he looked at Lucifer. "How did you get her to come?"
"It wasn't him," Chloe said. "Not really. I mean, he helped, but it was mainly Trixie. She wanted me to come and she and Lucifer made up this cute little dance and...and then they asked me to go and I just...I couldn't refuse."
"Well, great!" Dan smiled and gestured for her and Lucifer to take chairs, handing them a list of songs. "Go ahead and pick for the first round if you want."
"Oh, I think I'll wait until round two," Chloe insisted and pushed the clipboard toward Lucifer. "Spare you all my horrible singing a little longer."
"But you'll go the next round?" Lucifer asked, marking his name next to 'Hound Dog' on the clipboard.
Chloe sat there with a drink and watched as song after song was sung. Then, when it was over, everyone laughed and applauded, more drinks were passed around, and so was the clipboard for round two.
Not wanting anyone to think she was backing out again, Chloe gulped down the drink she had and then snatched the clipboard out of Dan's grip, putting her name next to 'Viva Las Vegas'.
"Oh, this'll be fun," Lucifer smiled as everyone urged Chloe onto the stage. She wasn't completely drunk, but she wasn't totally sober either, and her attempts to dance during the song made her nearly fall off the stage, but Lucifer caught her just in time.
"I think you've had enough," he said.
"Just let me finish my song, please?" Chloe asked. "You ruined it. Let me start again." She grinned and Lucifer sighed. If she was so determined to do it that she would get nearly drunk, he might as well help her get through it.
So it became a duet and after they were done, they were met with applause and people throwing money at them.
"How did I do?" Chloe asked him as he carried her off the stage. "I was good, wasn't I?"
"Well, you were having fun, that's the important thing," Lucifer smiled and sat her down, making sure she only drank coffee and sodas for the rest of the night, and that even though he sang a few more songs, she didn't go up and open her mouth again.
"That was fun," Chloe told him when it was over. "I had fun. Did you?"
"Oh, of course!" Lucifer smiled. "I was with you, how could I not? Now, we'll get you home and you can sleep off what you drank."
"I don't gotta do that," Chloe said. "I'm fine, I swear!"
"Yes," he agreed as her head fell to his chest. "But your this close to not being fine and we don't want you crossing any lines, okay?"
"Okay," Chloe nodded. "Thank you."
He made sure she was belted in the back and then drove her home and carried her inside, where Maze met them at the door.
"Is she drunk?" Maze demanded. "Lucifer, what did you do to her?"
"Nothing!" Lucifer defended himself. "She needed a lot courage to sing at the party tonight and she just happened to use alcohol to get it. But she's not completely drunk, I made sure of that. The child is in bed, right? I don't want her to see this."
"Of course!" Maze nodded and helped him get Trixie to her bed. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
When she was tucked in, Lucifer sent Maze away. "I can take it from here, Mazikeen," he told her. "Thank you."
Maze gave a nod and then strode out, leaving Lucifer to peer down at Chloe. "You're gonna sleep now, all right?" He told her. "I think I might have pushed you too hard tonight. I apologize."
"No, you didn't," Chloe sat up. "It was fine. I had fun. Thank you." She fell back down on her pillow. "Will you sing me a song so I can sleep?"
"Of course I will," Lucifer nodded, taking her hand and kissing it gently as he began to sing. "...Take my hand, take my whole life too...for I can't help, falling in love with you..."
His rich voice drifted over her as she shut her eyes. "Shall I stay? Would it be sin? If I can't help, falling in love with you..."
Chloe smiled and chuckled as she shut her eyes. "Goodnight, Lucifer."
"Goodnight, Detective," he told her. "Sleep well, and I'll see you tomorrow."
The End